Machine for knitting terry-looped fabric



. April 7, 1931. MCADAMS 1,800,092

MACHINE FOR KNITTING TERRY LOOPED FABRIC Filed Nov. 17, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet l H M AEYEIHEI gwuentoz alto W41 H MCMMME MACHINE FOR KNTTTTNG TERRY LOOPED FABRTC Filed Now 17, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Harv M i kdams.

April 7, 1931. H. M ADAMS MACHINE FOR KNITTING TERRY LOOPED FABRIC Filed Nov. 17, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Syn newton abiozmq April 7, 1931. H. M ADAMS 1,300,092

MACHINE FOR KNITTING TERRY LOOPED FABRIC Filed Nov. 17, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 n If 7 0 0 Q g a a na a a o 00 000 4o figl gM'iAdan-ls i// gwuemtoo Sum "4141 April 7, 1931. H M ADAMS 1,800,092

MACHINE FOR KNITTING TERRY LOOPED FABRIC Filed Nov. 17, 1926 5 SheetsSheet 5 INVENTQR ll -ETFLE BY W ATTORNEY,

Patented Apr. 7, 1931 HARRY HOADAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA MACHINE F63 KNITTING TERRY-LOOPIiD FABRIC Application filed November 17, 1926. Serial No. 148,849.

This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines, and has particular reference to a. knitting machine adaptable for the knitting of fabrlcs in which a terry thread is looped at both sides of the base fabric, to project from both sides of the fabric, in close relation, similar to' the loops apparent on Turkish towels, wash rags, and like articles.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved knitting machine adaptable for use in the knitting of fabrics simulating the conventional loom woven Turkish towels, including means for arf ranging terry threads or yarns with the wales of the knitting yarns, so that relatively long loops are provided in a closely placed relation at both sides of the fabric.

A further object of this invention is the provision of an improved circular knitting machine, of the type in which the cylinder revolves,'but the needles are non-reciprocatory, and which includes a 'novelarrangement of stitch feed yarn and forming wheels, and terry yarn feed and loop forming wheels adapted to form fabric with loops at both sides thereof in simulation of conventional Turkish towels, and the like.

A further object of this inventionis the provision of a novel burr wheel adaptable for controlling the yarns on circular knitting dmlachines, in a novelrelation with the neo- A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel type of wheel for pushing loo forming threads b tween and upon the nee les of circular knitting machines.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure l is a plan view of the improved circular knittin machine, showing more particularly the re ative arrangement of stitch yarn feed and stitching wheels, as well as terry yarn and loop forming wheels in relative arran ement with respect to the cylinder of nee. les.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken throu h a type of circular knitting machine used novel fabric.

Figure 3 is a plane development of the line of needles of the knitting machine, showing the relation of the yarn operatin burr wheels and'fabric controlling cams for t e formation of the novel fabric.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view showing the novel loop forming wheel which controls thev terry yarn or thread.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken thru the wheel of Figure 4 and its supportin stand.

igure 6 is a view, partly in side elevation and partlyin section,'showin a novel type of burr wheel employed to flied. the stitch yarn to alternate needles of the knitting machine.

- Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary View, on a plane surface, showing the blade arrangement of the burr wheel of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view, partly in side elevation, and partly in section, showing a novel tgpe of burr Wheel which is used to cast ofl. t e stitches and terry yarn loops from alternate needles ofthe knitting machine.

Figure 9 is a plane development of the blade arrangement of the burr wheel of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary enlarged and somewhat distorted diagrammatic showing of substantially the terry loop arrangement of a knitted fabric pro uced upon the improved knitting machine.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generally designate the improved knitting machine, which includes a supporting bed B having a rotary cylinder construction C thereon operably driven by means D. A fabric take up mechanism E is provided, of conventional construction. Novel means F is provided for feeding the terry yarn or thread to the needles of the cylinder C, supported upon a somewhat conventional type ofhstalnd or support G. Stitch yarn feed w ee s in the production of the burr H are provided, as well as novel cast 0E burr wheels K; said burr wheels being supported by conventional stands L bearin somewhat the characteristics of the stand illustrated in Figure 5.

Referring to Figure 2' of the drawings wherein the type of machine is disclosed, the

supporting bed is horizontally positioned, havlng an annular flange 11 which guides the rotation of the cylinder 0.

The cylinder C includes the main disc portion' 12, which at the outer mar ins thereof supports the depending cylinder ody 13, and

at the external periphery of which the needle.

being anchored at 19 in the body, and the.

upper ends thereof projecting upwardly above the top edges of the cylinder. The needles 17 are non-reciprocatory, and rotate with the cylinder, and the same are preferably of the spring beard type, having the downwardly facing beards 20 at the outer side of the cylinder, which receive the knitting and terry yarns in the relation to be subsequently described.

The cylinder may of course be of any diameter, and any approved number of needles may be provided thereon, consistent with the diameter of the fabric to be knitted. In some types of circular knitting machines, such as herein illustrated, the cylinders are of large size, and it is to be understood that the arrangement of terry yarn and stitch yarn controlling wheels herein described, constitute but one series, and that any number of series may be provided on the needle cylinder, cousistent with the size of the knitted fabric and the speed with which the same should be manufactured.

The cylinder C has a depending sleeve portion 25 with bevel gear 26 thereon, below the bed B, suitably driven by drive means D.

The take up mechanism E is conventional in character, including a wheel 30 supported on a vertical shaft 31. and the tubular fabric 33, as the same is knitted, is held upwardly above the rotating cylinder by the wheel 80, as in conventional practice.

On the disc 12 within the tubular textile fabric 33 is provided a stationary wheel stand supporting disc 36, which is adapted to re ceive conventional standards upon which evener wheels or burrs R are received, of conventional character, which wheels enga e at the inside of the needles in blade mes. ing relation therewith, for the purpose of push ing up and evening the knitting at certain points.

On the bed B externally of the cylinder, and concentrically surrounding. the same, is a stand supporting ring 40, having a T- shaped slot 41 therein for receiving suitable stands or supports to receive the various burr and terry feed and forming wheels of this invention, and which ring 40is of conventional character as is well understood in this art. v v 7 Referring to an operative description of parts in connection with the knitting and loop forming operation, the terry yarn or thread is fed or rather pushed through the spaces between each of the needles of the cylinder, and the wheel F to performthis function is of special construction, inasmuch as the loops are relatively long andcannot be accurately controlled by conventional burr wheels. The wheel F includes the dial or disc like body 40,, having a central passageway 41 therethrough for receiving apreferably vertically disposed supporting shaft 42 the latter being carried by-the stand or support G asillustrated in Figure 5. The disc 40 is provided with a plurality of radially disposed slots or grooves 43 inwardly from the top surface thereof, preferably being exposed on said topsurface for the length thereof, and these grooves 43 beingprovided to slidably receive sinker or pusher members 45, the outer ends of which are provided with a substantially V-shaped or U--shaped groove 47, and

which along the top edges thereof are pro-' vided with vertically upstanding butts 48, re'-, ceived within a cam groove 49 of a cap 50 which is stationary; the said cap being keyed at 51 to the shaft-42, and in this respect being distinguished from the disc 4O which rotates upon movement of the cylinder C.

The-cam groove 49 is almost entirely concentric with the shaft 42, but at the portionthereof facing the needles of the cylinder C,

the same is provided with-a throw portion 55, extending forwardly towards the needles of the cylinder, which receives the butts 48 and projects the pushers 45 through the spaces between the needles 17 to push the terry yarn between the needles so that the loops are relatively long and provided in each space between each of the needles, to the rear of the circular row of needles, or rather at the insides thereof.

Referring to characteristics of the disc yarn feed wheels or burrs H, the same as illustrated-in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings includes a supporting body 60 having open grooves spirally formed therein adapted to receive the blades 61, in a spaced spiral relation. The blades 61 are of the type generally used on stitching burrs. and each of the blades is provided with a projection 62, above which i the stitch yarn is received and which cooperate to compel the stitch yarn to be forced upwardly beneath the-beards of the needles during rotation of the burr wheel as will be readily understood by anyone skilled-in this art. A novel departure inthe formation of the burr wheel H, from conventional practice, is the provision of presser blocks 64, ar-

' ranged between. the blades 61, in alternate spaces, and the functions of which are to close alternate needle beards and cast off the stitch yarn therefrom, permitting only alternate needles to take the stitch yarn.

A special type of cast off burr wheel K is provided, including a base 66, having a passageway therethru for receiving the conventional shaft of the supporting stand. This base 66 has received thereon the lower blade body 68, preferably slotted spiral or diagonally with spaced slots to receive the spiral or diagonally sitioned blades 69, which are spaced in suc relation that the blades 69 will intermesh in the spaces between each of the needles of the cylinder C.

As a novel part of the'burr K, a presse'r body 70 is provided, keyed at 71 for rotation with the blade body 68, the presser body 70 circumferentially thereon having presser extensions 72 in aligning relation with alternate spaces between the blades 69, and'the spaces 74 between the presser extensions being aligned with'the remaining spaces between the blades 69, so that during rotation, the presser extensions 72 will press down the beards of alternate needles of the cylinder 0; the boards 'of the remaining needles be ing left open to prevent cast off of stitches as will be subsequently described.

Referring now to the operation of the knitting machine, it is to be noted, as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, that a first terr yarn or thread is looped or pushed t rough the spaces between each of the adjacent needles of the cylinder C, in the relation illustrated in Figure 4 of the draw- .ings. This first terry yarn 80 is pushed between the needles by a first terry yarn pusher wheel F, at a location below the beards of the needles, preferably'adjacent the base of said needles where the same extend above the top of the cylinder, and this feed of the terry yarn occurs when the stitches 84 of the finished fabric are high on the needles, and it is to be noted that every other needle, also high on the needles, has a terry yarn looped thereon, as shown at. 85 in Figure 3 of the drawings, the same being the second terry looping yarn 92 to be subsequently mentioned. Immediately after the terry yarn 80 is thus looped between each of the needles,.& fabric controlling cam P operating at the inside of the row of needles, pushes the fabric loops thereon down upon the needles, so that as the needles a preach the knit thread inserting wheel H the fabric yarn 100 s on the needles are adjacent the bases 0 said needles, below the beards thereof, and the wheel H then operates to feed the first knitting yarn 87 onto alternate needles of the cylinder. In this feed of the first knitting yarn 87 it is to be noted that, as above described, the wheel H operates in the manner above described for the wheel H, and the beards of alternate needles of the cylinder are pressed by the pressers 64 so that the knitting yarn 87 passes overthe said alternate beards and only catches under the open beards of the remainin needles. These needles on which the itting yarn 87 catches are 'the same needles as have the terry loops 85 of the second terry yarn 92, to be subsequently mentioned, so that the needles on which thestitch yarn 87 catches now each have a loop of the fabric looped thereon, together with two of the terry yarn loops, and the cam P holds the two terry yarn loops of these alternate needles together with the loop of the fabric down on the needle beneath the-beards thereof until they reach the first cast off burr or wheel K. This wheel K is of the construction of the wheel K above described, and its function is to have the presser portions 72 close the beards of only the alternate needles, that is, close the beards of the needles on which the stitch yarn 87 has just been hooked, so that as the blades 690i the lower bladed portion 68 of said wheel K moves upwardly between the needles of the cylinder, the fabric and terry threads will be thrown upwardly upon those needles, and the needles whose beards are closed will permit the fabric yarn loops and terry yarns looped thereover to cast off of said needles, and of course such cast off, assisted by a clearing wheel R, will cause the knit in of the yarn87 which has just been fed by the burr wheel H, as is obvious.

As the cylinder continues to rotate, the needles after passing the wheeLK will have alternate ones thereof provided with terry yarn loops 90 thereon; the needles on which these portions 90 are received being those, the beards of which were left open during operation of the wheel K thereon, and these terry portions 90 are parts of the first terry yarn 80 first fed into the cylinder as above mentioned. The wheel R, shown in Fig. 1, may operate at the inner periphery of the circular line of needles, immediately after the needles have passed the wheel K, to even up the knitting at this point.

As the needles continue to rotate, the fabric wales will be pushed downupon all of the needles, by means of a cam T, which is placed at theinner periphery of the circular line of needles and which pushes the loops hung on the needles, downwardly u on said needles to a point adjacent the top e ge of the cylinder body, and likewise the terry yarn loops 90 over the alternate needles will also be similarly pushed down. After this has occured,

the needles'will then receive thereon a second terry yarn 92, fed into the spaces between each of the adjacent needles by means of a the o posit side of the fabric from the pro,-

j cte 100 s formed by the firs terry yarn 80, when t e fabric is cast from the needles.

As the cylinder continues to rotate, the

. fabric yarn loops on the needles, as well as both terry yarns looped thereon are held far down on the needles by means of a cam V,

see-Fig. 3, which isarranged at .the inner peri hery of the circular row of cylinder nee les, and which holds the terry yarns together with the knit loops on the needles far down on said needles until a second knit yarn or thread 95 is fed onto alternate needles of the c linder, by means of the burr wheel H,

whic is exactly of the same construction as the burr H above described. In this connection it should now be noted that below the cam V each needle has looped thereon, a loop of the fabric yarn, and above this a 100 of the second terr yarn 92, and below thefa ric yarn loop, only alternate needles have the first terry 'arn loop portions 90. Thus, every other needle has received thereon, a pair of terry loops and a knitting yarn fabric loop, and as these alternate last mentioned needles ride" into en agement with the burr wheel.

H' the beards thereof remain open while the beards of the remaining needles are closed and the second knit yarn 95 is fed onto these alternate needles whose beards are open high up under the beards.

a As the cylinder continues to rotate, the

. said closed beards may be cast on of each of. said alternate needles, and the terry yarns loops of the terry yarns and stitch yarns with exception of the second stitch yarn 95 remain below the beards of the needles, and the needles then ride intooperation with the wheel K", which is exactly of the same construction as the, wheel K above described, and the beard presser portions 72 of which press the beards on alternate needles closed, the said alternate: needles. being those needles upon which the second stitch thread 95 is looped, so that the two terry yarn loops and the loops of the fabric knitting yarn 87 below properly loopedin the fabric, and a knitting 'efl'ected of the second knit yarn 95. The

cylinder then continues to rotate, with the knitting yarn loops e'ngaged'high up on the beards of the needles, and in this connection it should-be noted that every other needle has the terry yarn loop portion 85 of the yarns are thus held at opposite sides of the fabric in an out of the way relation.

In connection with the knitting, any of the number of series of terry yarn pusher Wheels; stitching wheels; and knitting wheels in the arrangement of parts described may be provided, suitable with the size of the knitting machine.

After the needles pass the wheel K' a second evener wheelR, shown in Fig. 1, may be placed at the inner periphery of the row of needles, to even up the sitching on said needles.

it is to be understood that the various burr and terry pusher wheels of this invention may be mounted in conventional manner upon stands similar to the stands illustrated in Fig.. 5, and as well understood in the art this stand consists'of a substantially horizontally disposed supporting barrel 100 having means 111 to adjustably support the same for. rigid pnositioning on the T-grooved ring 40 of the. itting machine; a plunger 112 operating in the barrel the inner end of which has a bracket 113 which supports shaft 42 thereon; this plunger being splined in the barrel 100 and normally being urged toward tlre cylinder by the spring 115 under compresslon inthe barrel. Handle locking nuts 117 are provided on the plunger 112 at the outer end thereof which an operator may grasp to pull the plunger 112 outwardly by compressing the spring 115 to remove the blades of the burr wheels,- or the sinkers, in the case of'the terry yarn'pusher wheel F, away from the needles of the cylinder.

Ill]

Referring to Figure 10, the same illustrates in a distorted diagrammatic relation the manner in which the fabric is formed. Due to the fact that the knitting yarns are used, one of which is knitted onl on alternate needles and the other of whi-c is knitted on the remaining needles, it is to be observed that the knitting yarn 8 7wvill produce alternate Wale rows of stitch loops 120, and the other knitting yarn 95 will produce the remaining wale row of stitch loops 121; the knit yarn producing the loops being arranged in straight unlooped portions 122 across the loops 121, and similarly thesecond knit yarn which forms the loops 121 being arrangedin straight unlooped portions 123 across-the loops 120. This provides a fabric which is less elastic than ordinary be subsequently mentioned, are projected to knitting, as should be the case with a fabric adaptable for use as towelling an i the like. Insofar as the first terry yarn is concerned, the same is knit so as to produce 100 s 125 at one side of the fabric, the same bein at the far side of the fabric as illustrated in igure 10, which is the normal inside of the fabric as knitted upon the machine shown .in the drawings, which project in closely lying relation With respect to each other, at said side of said fabric onl and in such close and long relation that t e spaced wales of the fabric are 'ractically unobservable unless the nap of t e fabric formed by the terry loops is layed back. The other terry thread or am as formed in the above man ner provi es loops 128 at the opposite side ofthe fabric, the same being the near side of the fabric as seen in'Figure 10, which is the normal outside of the fabric as positioned upon the machine after knitting, in closely spaced and packed relation between the wales, so as to render the wales of the fabric practically unobservable. During the introduction of the terry loop yarn 92, noting that the fabric previously knitted is held by the cam T down atthe base ends of the needles, and that the terry looping yarn 92 is introduced thereabove, it should be remembered that thesinker wheel F will introduce the terry looping yarn 92 in long projecting loops through the spaces between the needles as shown in Figure 4. This lays the loops over the normal outside face of the fabric, since the loops are sufficiently long to permit such positioning, as is quite apparent from Figure 4., and subsequently when the fabric is elevated upon the needles the loops 128, to

the normal outer face of the fabric as it is held by the take-up mechanism upon the machine, and which relation may readily be understood from Figure 10 of the drawings. In fact, the invention is embodied in a practical type of circular knitting machine which will economically and efficiently and expeditiously produce a knit fabric similar to a conventional Turkish towel insofar as an inelastic base is concerned, which has terry loops projecting of proper length and spaced relation at both sides thereof. As above'mentioned such type of fabric has heretofore been pro duced upon looms, by weaving, in contra-distinction to textile knitting thereof.

Various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts as Well as departure in the steps of the method of knitting the im-, proved fabric may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or-scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine a rotary support having a circular line of spring beard knitting needles thereon, a burr wheel operating on said needles to feed a first knit thread beneath the beard of every other needle only, a second burr wheel operable on the needles to feed a second knit thread beneath the beards of the remaining needles only, means operating on said needles in advance of the first mentioned burr wheel to feed a terry thread in looped relation upon each of said needles, means to control the fabric and terry thread during operation of the first and second mentioned burr wheels on the needles to prevent engagement of said burr wheels by any.other threads than the respective knit oif burr wheel operating on the needles suc-,

oeeding the second mentioned knit thread burr wheel, operating on the alternate needles whereon the second knit thread was received to close the beards of said needles to knit and cast off the terry yarns looped upon said needles, means intermediate the first mentioned cast off burr wheel and the second knit thread burr wheel to lower the fabric and terry threads on the needles to below the beards of the needles, and means succeeding the last mentioned means and preceding the operation of the needles by the second mentioned knit thread burr wheel to feed a second terry thread ontothe needles to below the beards thereof in a looped relation between each of said needles.

2. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a rotary support, a circular line of spring needles on said rotary support, burr wheel means for feeding a first stitch thread on alternate needles, burr wheel means for feeding a second stitch thread on the remaining needles, means operating on the needles preceding the first mentioned burr wheel means to feed a first terry thread beneath the beards of the needles and looped upon each of said needles below the fabric held by said needles, burr wheel means intermediate the first and second mentioned burr wheel means operable to cast off stitches and terry thread loops from those needles on which the first mentioned knit yarn was received, means intermediate the last mentioned burr wheel and the second knit thread burr wheel for feeding a second terry yarn in looped relation upon and between each of said needles at a point above the Wale engagement of the fabric on said needles and below the spring 3. In a united needle knitting machine for producing terry loop fabric having long prominently extending terry loops, the com-,

bination of a frame, a rotatable cylinder carried by the frame, a united needle set car-- ried by the cylinder, a series of wheels and devices for introducing a pair of base web forming yarns upon the needles'inknitting relation thereupon, means cooperating with the needles and said pair of knitting yarns to knit a base web upon the needles, and means exteriorly of the cylinder to introduce upon the needles in cooperative formation with the base web a pair of terry looping yarns for producing long prominently projecting terry loops upon both sides of the base Web as the latter is formed.

4. In a knitting machine of the class described the combination of a stationary bed, a rotatable cylinder having a circular'united needle set upon said bed, means operating. upon the needles to introduce yarn and produce a base knitted web, means to introduce upon the needles from externally of the circular line of needles during the formation of the base web a terry loop yarn with long loops extending through each of the successive spaces between the needles for the production of long terry loops at one side of the finished fabric, and means to introduce between and upon the needles from externally of the circular line ofneedles during formation of the base Web a second terry looping yarn with long loops extending through each of the successive spaces between the needles for the production of long prominently projecting terry, loops at the .other side of the finished fabric.

5. In a machine for knitting terry looped fabrics, the combination of a stationaryframe, a rotating support carried by the frame, a circular line of needles upon the rotating support, means for introducing knitting yarns to the needles, means cooperating with the needles and the last mentioned means for knitting a base web of said knit ting yarns, means externally of the circular line of knitting needles for introducing at different intervals about the circular line of knitting needles a plurality of terry looping yarns in cooperative formation with the base web as it is knitted, and means acting upon the base web as it is formed and upon the terry looping yarns after introduction for causing the projecting terry loops of one terry looping yarn to project at one side of the fabric and the projecting loops of the other terry looping yarn to project at the opposite side of the fabric. 7

6. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a stationary frame, a rotary support upon the stationary frame, a circular line of knitting needles upon the rotary support, means for sinking between the needles a terry looping yarn at a location below knitted fabric held upon the needles, means for lowering the knitted fabric upon the needles, means for feeding a knitting yarn upon the needles above the fabric held thereon and above the terry looping yarn as previously mentioned, means for elevating the the needles to the lower parts of the needles,

means for then introducing a second terry looping yarn upon the needles above the fabric held upon the needles, means for sub sequently introducingupon the needles a second knitting yarn, and means for then elevating the fabric as held upon the needles, and the terry looping yarns in a cast ofi relation with the second knitting yarn whereby the second terry looping yarn loops project at the opposite side of the fabric from the projection of the loops of the first mentioned terry looping yarn;

7. In a circular knitting machine the combination of a stationary bed, a rotary support on the bed, a circular line of knitting needles carried by the rotary frame, means for introducing and knitting a base web 

